章 45: The Persistent Little Thief
After two hours of searching the Mile High Depot, Hao and Mentos had visited numerous Batoon markets and spoken to countless vendors in their quest for an affordable Bastian. They had spent what felt like an eternity haggling with the vendors, but the affordable Bastians were either completely sold out or the prices were still too high for them.
"We've been all over this place already and still nothing." Mentos signed and continued, "Seems like you're out of luck, Hao. We might have to abandon this mission of yours to purchase a Bastian," He wiped the sweat from his brow.
Hao was desperate to find a solution to unsheathe Judgment Day, he repositioned the X-class sword at his rear and frowned. "That doesn't say. We came this far; I'm not leaving empty-handed. Hmm...?" He had the sudden feeling that they were being watched, but he couldn't pinpoint the source.
"What is it Hao, why have you stopped?" Mentos inquired.
"Uh, it's nothing." He responded and continued moving forward.
They were walking along a balcony high above the ground area when Mentos abruptly clutched his stomach, it growled very loudly, sounding like an explosion in Hao's sensitive ears. "You know, Hao, I'm starving. We should grab something to eat."
"You're hungry already." Saying this, Hao's keen sense of smell raced ahead of his Vibe Sense down the corridor where he noticed a tantalizing scent wafting through the air. "Seems like my nose found a solution to that problem," he told his friend with a grin.
Mentos inhaled deeply and started guessing what the delicious smell could be. "Is that grilled Gargan ribs? Oh, they smell divine!"
Mentos's stomach growled again. He was eager to get filled up so he rushed towards the source of the aroma, nearly knocking over a passer-by in his haste.
Hao called after him, "Slow down, Mentos! The food isn't going anywhere!" He shook his head, amused, then later followed his friend into the restaurant.
The establishment was doing well for itself, the smell of sizzling meats and spices could punch you off balance. A variety of meals was on the menu, from Gargan ribs to Zinkan skewers, moreover, the kitchen was filled with chefs grilling the meats to perfection. The tables were arranged to accommodate a diverse group of patrons, some dining alone and others in large groups. Bastians were tied up outside, for they were not allowed inside the restaurant due to sanitary regulations.
"There you go, boy! Have at it!"
"Huh!" Hao observed a customer tossing a large chunk of meat to his Bastian, which eagerly snapped it up and devoured it.
Growl!
"This place… is wild." Hao caught up with Mentos who was already ordering their meal by the counter.
"I'll have the grilled Gargan ribs and a side of Spikan potatoes!" Exclaimed Mentos with a watery mouth that couldn't wait to savour the items he ordered.
After the order was placed, they found a table near the edge of the restaurant's outdoor platform. The platform was high up, with only railings separating the diners from a long drop down to the world below. However, the patrons seemed unfazed by the height, their focus was solely on the delicious food before them and the conversation they were having.
"I believe this is us." Pointed out Mentos. He and Hao settled into their seats, and soon enough, their meal arrived. "Woo-wee! This looks amazing, I sure hope it tastes even better."
The succulent ribs and golden Spikan potatoes were placed on the table. Mentos wasted no time in digging in. His mouth was stuffed in a rather disgusting manner that the juices of the food he ate were dripping down the corners of his wide mouth.
"Hey, slow down, mate." Hao chided with a chuckle, watching as Mentos devoured his food with little regard for table manners. Hao, on the other hand, ate with elegance, using his utensils to enjoy the meal. He wasn't attracting as many turning heads like Mentos was doing, although they both sat at the same table, so it would be fair to say he got glanced at as well.
"Nyum! Nyum!" Mentos swallowed before he even chewed the food, similar to a prodigy of a real gourmand.
"Hmm…" While enjoying their meal, Hao sensed the approach of the same young thief who had stolen their Blade Tokens earlier.
"I got you now!" The boy revealed himself and lunged at Mentos with a dagger, aiming to stab him in a moment of distraction, his eyeballs were shooting off sparks of vengeance.
Whoosh!
Hao, still seated, flicked the tip of his sheathed Vibe Edge and used it to intercept the dagger while simultaneously deflecting it just in time. The force of Hao's deflection caused the boy to stumble back, falling onto his rear.
"Ouch!" He cried out.
"Nyum! Nyum!" Mentos was so focused on eating that it took him a moment to realize what had just occurred. He looked from the boy to Hao, then back to the boy with his mouth still full of food. "What th-?" he mumbled through his stuffed cheeks.
"Ah! I'll get you for this!" The boy, disgruntled and now seated on the floor, started to rave about his thwarted attack. Mentos became annoyed to the point where he grabbed a jumbo hotdog sandwich from a nearby plate and forcefully stuffed it into the boy's mouth. This effectively silenced the thief, leaving him to grumble inaudibly as his cheeks puffed out from the sandwich.
"You must be hungry, bite on that and shut the hell up," Mentos told him, smirking.
At that moment, the restaurant's manager who was quite burly stormed over, having witnessed the commotion. "Yoad! How many times do I have to tell you not to cause any trouble in my establishment?" He roughly grabbed the boy, lifting him off the ground by the back of his shirt. Turning to Hao and Mentos, he asked, "Is this brat bothering you?"
Hao and Mentos shrugged, their response was purely gesticulated. They weren't particularly bothered by the boy's antics, they found it more amusing than anything.
"Stop hassling my customers, Yoad!" the manager bellowed then dragged the boy away from their table. He tossed him outside, causing him to land on his bum once again with a painful thud.
"Ouch! You didn't have to do me so dirty you fat cheeks!" Yoad spat at the manager's feet, picked himself up from the ground and stormed away. He had parked his Bastian just around the corner so he hopped onto it and for now, retreated. "Come on Barkcode, we'll get those two I promise."
Back at their table, Hao and Mentos returned to their meal, the excitement now behind them. Mentos couldn't help but comment on the situation though. "Kids these days, eh?" he said with a chuckle, taking another large bite of his Gargan's ribs.
Hao nodded with, a wry smile on his face. "Yeah, but at least he's persistent. I'll give him that." They shared a laugh before returning solely to finishing their meals.
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